


The Only One They Ever Reared

by phngi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aromantic, Asexuality, Children, Comedy, Family, Foreshadowing, Friendship, Gen, Kid Fic, Marauders, Marauders Friendship, Marauders' Era, Slice of Life, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 05:31:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15901869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phngi/pseuds/phngi
Summary: "Lily readjusted her grip and turned Harry around so that he was facing the other two men. He cocked his head to one side like a confused puppy, struggling to recognize them. 'Can you stay here with Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus?'Harry gurgled confidently."Lily and James get called away for urgent business by Dumbledore and it's falling on the godfather and the most responsible Marauder to handle babysitting. Spending a day with Harry isn't without its fair share of shenanigans, but looking after their best friend's child as young adults leads to Sirius and Remus chatting about families and all those warm, fuzzy things that teenage boys don't get around to talking about in school when they're too busy sneaking around making illegal magical artifacts.Platonic, aromantic one-shot.





	The Only One They Ever Reared

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [FallacyFallacy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallacyFallacy/pseuds/FallacyFallacy) in the [GenAndAroPrompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GenAndAroPrompts) collection. 



Fuzzy, golden sunbeams crept into the cramped and dusty room as the morning clouds parted, slowly rolling across the window and coming to rest uncomfortably on the sleeping man’s closed eyelids. He furrowed his brow irritably, but otherwise did not stir from his position on the sagging armchair. Even when he wasn’t awake, his young and unconventionally dashing features brimmed with a mischievous playfulness. His lips were parted slightly, seeming to rest in a lingering ghost of a smirk with each soft inhale and exhale, and his sprawled, slouching posture on the chair conveyed the kind of subconscious ease that comes to those who are either exceedingly or obliviously confident. A crisp copy of yesterday’s _Daily Prophet_ issue was lying in his lap, opened to page eighteen where an image of a proud-looking witch in a gaudy hat was looking up at his snoring figure and appearing to tut judgmentally.

Clear, punctuated footsteps turned into dampened, muffled ones as another man carrying a bowl of Honeydukes sweets crossed from the tiled kitchen into the carpeted den. Though fully awake, his kind face held a weathered weariness beyond his years. He set the bowl down on a short wooden table in the middle of the room and glanced at the tall fireplace.  Seeing nothing but the cozy embers that he had set earlier, he turned to peer at his dozing companion and ran a hand through his own mousy brown hair with a sigh. He rolled his eyes and prodded him sharply on the arm. The sleeping man gave a start and grumbled something unintelligible, straightening up only the tiniest bit as if it were causing him great pain to do so.

“It’s a quarter past already, Padfoot.”

Sirius’s eyes flew open wide as he clambered less than gracefully out of his seat, newspaper falling unceremoniously to the ground. He pushed his long black hair impatiently out of his face as he stood and searched the fireplace guiltily. Meanwhile, Remus bent down to pick up the _Prophet,_ strode over to the second armchair which was even shabbier than the first, and sat down calmly.

“You’re only reading this now, when they’re arriving any minute?” he inquired without looking up, knowing the answer as he flipped back to the page with the haughty witch on it. “I even circled the useful bits for you. You know, Augusta Longbottom might not be the easiest person to talk to but it’s not every day that a friend’s mother makes the _Daily Prophet_ , with an article about how to raise children no less. It’s one of the few things to celebrate these days.”

“She’s being featured in the same panel as ads for _Mrs. Skower’s Cleaning Supplies_ , it’s not like her little puff piece made the front page,” Sirius retorted moodily, as if that had anything to do with the point. “She’s only got a guest spot because she’s friends with Griselda Marchbanks anyway. Besides, I think I know James well enough to have a decent guess at how _he’d_ want us to look after Harry.”

“I’ve got a feeling James isn’t the one we need to prove ourselves to.”

At that moment, the flames in the hearth crackled louder and turned emerald green. Remus put the paper aside and stood up. The familiar whooshing sound got louder and louder, closer and closer, until -

“I’ll never get fully used to that,” drawled a slightly disheveled James Potter as he slid into view holding a rucksack. At present, his head was surrounded by a sort of clear orb that made him look like what the muggles called an “astronaut”. Taking his mahogany wand out of his pocket, he gave it an impatient wave and the orb disappeared with a comical popping sound. He patted a bit of ash off of his trousers and then swept down from the hearth without missing a beat, walking into a place that was as good as his own home. “First test trial of our limited-edition, black-market Floo connection - success. Alright, lads?” he grinned genially, arms open.

Sirius returned the grin and stepped forward to meet his best friend’s embrace, clapping him on the back good-naturedly. “Not bad mate, can’t complain.”

“Doesn’t he always anyway though?” Remus laughed, taking his turn to hug James. “Bubble Head Charm? That’s pretty clever for traveling by Floo Powder,” he added.

“Lily’s idea. Harry can’t understand the concept of not breathing in the ash and smoke while he’s in there yet, so bit of charm work seemed to fit the bill. Going by Floo’s a pain but you know, it’s just for today. Can’t risk any splinching with the little one - so, while we’re at it, might as well shield our own heads too. After all, you know how I feel about mucking up my hair.”

The men snickered as another roaring rush came from behind James. Lily came into view, red hair clashing terrifically with the green flames, cradling a large bundle of midnight blue blankets. Mimicking her husband, she took out her wand and canceled the charm engulfing her and her son’s heads in one fluid motion.

“My boys!” she cried with a sort of pride, beaming radiantly. They grinned back and each moved in turn to kiss her cheek in greeting. “He’s sleeping right now. Thank God this child can sleep through anything once you’re able to put him down.”

James put an arm around his wife’s waist as she drew level with him and looked down at his son with an expression that was all gentleness, so much softer than the goading sneers that used to play on his face all the time. Following suit, the other two men leaned in eagerly to sneak a peek at the precious little boy.

Despite the fact that he was barely eight months old, it had been abundantly clear for quite some time that the boy had inherited mostly his father’s looks. By now, he had a thick mop of James’ unruly black hair that tickled his chubby cheeks. One light wisp floated up and down as he snored quietly in his mother’s arms. It was incredible to all of them how quickly he was growing - it seemed like only yesterday that they’d all been in a panic as the glittering silver stag patronus had soared into the room and informed everyone, in James’ quavery and panicked voice, that Lily had gone into labor. After taking turns pacing frantically around this very room for hours, waiting desperately for the signal that it was finally alright to go visit the now three-person family, Sirius and Remus would never forget the first time they laid eyes on Harry James Potter. He’d been curled up in blankets just like he was now, but so much smaller, more fragile, and unable to do anything for himself. He was the first of a new generation in their little family of misfits and his entrance into the world had been their one shining beacon in the midst of all the bigotry and terror of the years. Although they had visited the Potters several times since then, each time they saw Harry he surprised them with something new, be it a new trick, a new nonsensical word, or a new laugh. They never got tired of admiring his smallest accomplishments, or even patiently listening to James swear that Harry would be an even better Chaser than he’d been, maybe even professional for Puddlemere United or something like that.

Now that the all the usual salutations had taken place, Lily was all business.

“So, are you clear on all the instructions? Harry’s got another hour before he eats and bedtime is NOT a negotiation. Absolutely no snacks until after his bottle feeding. Don’t even think about it,” she added, noticing the bowl of sweets on the table. Remus shifted his feet sheepishly.

 James chuckled. “It’s all written out in a list here in case you’ve forgotten everything.” He nudged the bag he had brought with his foot. “All of Harry’s supplies are in here. His favorite stuffed owl, extra clothes, extra bottles…Oh, and don’t forget, he needs another nap in the afternoon before supper - oh, and don’t use this blanket when he’s sleeping lying down, we’ve got a thicker one in here - ”

 “Relax, Prongs,” Sirius barked. “We’ve got it from here. Can’t be harder than keeping Wormtail out of harm’s way all these years.”

“How’s he been anyway? I haven’t heard from him lately,” wondered Remus.

James shrugged casually. “Ah you know Wormy, he’s forgetful as always. I did ask if he wanted to come and watch Harry as well but he said there were some urgent Order matters he had to attend to last minute, very secret...I guess that’s a decent enough excuse. I mean, barely.”

“And speaking of Order matters, we’d better be off, James - are you _certain_ you’ve got everything you need?” Lily’s bright green eyes were wide and blazing, staring into each of their faces searching for absolute comprehension. “ _Don’t_ forget the list, please, we’ll be back in the evening, Dumbledore swore it wouldn’t take more than a day though God knows why he needs to look at the house…”

“Lily, we swear on our lives, everything will be fine,” said Remus in his trademark reasonable tone, placing a hand on her shoulder as Sirius gently poked Harry’s tiny hand in a curious, childlike way. Although the young mother didn’t feel completely relieved, she was at the very least reminded that the two men to whom she was entrusting her entire heart would actually give their lives for her family if duty called, in all truth.

As if on cue, Harry’s eyelids began to flutter slightly. His tiny mouth blubbed open and shut like a fish a few times before he finally rubbed his eyes open groggily, revealing his one undeniably Lily-esque trait. James leaned over and cupped Harry’s face gently. “Harry, Mum and Dad are going to go to work for a little while okay?” Lily readjusted her grip and turned Harry around so that he was facing the other two men. He cocked his head to one side like a confused puppy, struggling to recognize them. “Can you stay here with Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus?”

Harry gurgled confidently.

“Attaboy,” beamed Sirius, ruffling his godson’s hair. Lily smiled and set her son down gently on the ground, feet-first. Though Harry couldn’t move around on his own quite yet, it wasn’t for lack of trying. Still grasping onto his mother with one set of pudgy fingers, he reached the other out and stretched with an enormous effort toward Remus, who quickly knelt down and caught the toddler’s other hand. Harry broke into a toothy, lopsided grin and began to “walk” - or rather, swing his legs clumsily forward for a step or two before toppling face-first into Remus’ chest.

James clapped. “That’s already better than yesterday! Ah, he’ll be on a broomstick in no time. Well, Lily you’re right, we’d better go. Don’t have too much fun without us, boys,” he winked at his son. “Thanks again you two, really, couldn’t ask for better mates,” he added seriously, clasping their hands again in goodbye. It was in these little moments that James Potter’s truest and best nature peeked out at them from behind the all the jokes and bravado.

The two adult Potters stepped up to the fireplace again, grabbing a fistful of Floo powder from a grubby little pot on the mantle. Each in their turn waved goodbye and vanished in a loud poof of sizzling green flame and smoke. Harry opened and closed his right hand in the general direction of the hearth, in the smallest semblance of a wave.

 “Now then,” said Remus once they were both gone, scooping Harry up in his arms. “What shall we do first, Harry? Your mother said another hour before lunch so what shall it be?”

Meanwhile, Sirius was rummaging through the rucksack that James had left them, looking for the list. It was clear from the amount of time it was taking him that Lily had placed some kind of Extendable charm on the thing. “ _Accio,_ list,” he snapped with an impatient flick of his wand. A roll of parchment soared out of the bag in a neat little arc, landing softly in his hand.

“What does it say?” asked Remus as he bounced Harry up and down.

“After breakfast...playtime...naptime...so that puts us at right at more playtime. Must be nice eh, Harry? Nothing to worry about but playing and sleeping.”

“Well, the Order will just have to make sure it’s like that again by the time he grows up. Have you got any toys over there for him?”

Sirius pulled out the little snow-white stuffed owl that James had mentioned and a few colored blocks with shimmery caricatures of magical creatures painted on each side. Although it wasn’t the first time they’d played with little Harry, it was hard for Remus not to chuckle as he regarded his old friend, the rebel pureblood who flaunted a bad boy reputation at school, holding a bundle of fluffy toys for infants and looking for a snitch-shaped rattle.

With an enthusiasm that would have made his father proud, Harry stretched his arms out toward the snitch-rattle as soon as he laid eyes on it. “Ebbhhh enhh,” he blabbered.

Remus carried him over and plopped him down on the floor gently in front of Sirius, who slowly handed Harry the toy. “Look, he’s gotten so much better at those - what d’you call them - motor skills,” he marveled, noting how Harry was able to grasp the rattle and shake it around without dropping it like last time. The almost-toddler chirped happily as he waved it back and forth and thus drew soft rustling sounds from the tiny stones inside. One would think it was the most glorious music ever produced from the expression on Harry’s face as he held the toy closer to his ear and listened intently. That was the wonderful thing about Harry - the two men hadn’t exactly spent much time with other babies, but the little Potter seemed to be distinctly able to amuse himself regardless of how simple the activity might be.

“I don’t suppose you remember how you liked to play when you were this young,” said Remus, sitting down himself and gazing fondly at the boy who was now grabbing one of the blocks and running his fingers over the painted hippogriff curiously. “I certainly don’t.”

A more sardonic laugh than intended escaped Sirius’s throat. “No, I don’t suppose I do. Not like Orion and Walburga Black would have ever been caught playing with their children _themselves_ \- it would have been the maids, even Kreacher was probably a more likely caretaker _._ Perish the thought of any genuine parental warmth.” He rolled his eyes with an icy smile and pushed another block, this time with a painted unicorn, toward Harry who accepted it gleefully. “Not that it matters if I can’t remember it to begin with.”

Not buying his friend’s nonchalance for a second but knowing to move on from the issue, Remus took out his wand. “Well that’s alright, we can make up our own games for Harry here.”

He closed his eyes and leaned against the legs of the chair behind him, allowing himself to travel back in time in his mind. It was an easy trip, one that he made rather frequently these days when he needed a pick-me-up. Going back just about five years (had it really all gone by so quickly?) to the ripe age of fifteen, he pictured himself standing dumbstruck in the Shrieking Shack and swearing that what he was seeing had to be a dream. He’d all but gotten accustomed to these...interruptions...in his lifestyle by now, but how was it that the very people from whom he’d been most desperate to conceal his condition were lounging on the cobwebbed chaises of this melancholy, makeshift shelter waiting for him as though it were the Gryffindor common room? They were insisting on something that he couldn’t quite hear over the panicked ringing in his ears, as he could think of nothing but the fact that moonrise was just around the corner. And then, just like - well, magic - he’d gaped as the snarky ringleader shed his glasses and traded them for antlers; the paragon of students and pariah of purebloods now sported long black fur instead of long black hair; and the already-short-in-stature sycophant grew shorter still, shrinking down until his body was only about as long as his new spindly tail. To anyone else, the scene would have seemed like the world’s most mundane menagerie, but Remus had understood the situation as soon as they'd all settled into their animal forms, regarding him with three sets of doleful yet hopeful non-human eyes. Had his own transformation not begun its course in the next few minutes that followed, Remus would have sunk to his knees and shed some tears right then and there. It was a feeling he’d carry with him when they eventually snuck back into the dormitory, and for the rest of his life, when he finally got the chance to sputter out an emotional thanks.

“ _Expecto Patronum.”_

Sirius grinned. “Now we’re talking.”

A burst of silver light streamed smoothly out of Remus’s wand, forming the unmistakable shape of a wolf in the air above their heads. The wolf leapt weightlessly onto the floor next to them, maintaining a safe distance from Harry just in case Remus was overestimating the baby’s bravery. Evidently, there was no need to worry about this because apart from a brief moment of surprise, Harry quickly broke into peals of excited gibberish and reached toward the ghost-like figure before him.

“See?” exclaimed Sirius proudly. “I told you he’s going to be a Gryffindor.”

“Does seem to run in the family,” replied Remus with smile. He gestured slightly with his wand and led the wolf closer. Even in a patronus form, it was quite the majestic being with large translucent paws, pale wisps of layered fur, and a tufted tail. However, today’s goal was not to scare off dementors but rather to play, and so the wolf took a few steps,  laid down, and rolled over until it was belly-up with its head leaning against Harry’s lap like a domesticated dog. Harry cooed with delight and tried to pat the corporeal spell, attempting to grab fistfuls of smoke-like fur. The blocks and rattle lay forgotten for the moment while the wolf wagged its tail and “licked” Harry’s face, which really just felt like a slight breeze against his cheek. It made the boy giggle and blurt out something that sounded like “woof-woof” before continuing to stroke the wolf’s head.

“You’re kind of a natural at this, aren’t you, Moony,” Sirius asked genially. He watched the wolf roll back over onto its feet and gambol playfully in a circle around Harry who was quite engrossed in the show. After a few stumbling attempts to chase it, the baby gave up and settled for clapping his hands together. “Can’t wait to meet the lucky kid who gets to have you be its father.”

 A shadow passed over Remus’s face involuntarily. “That’s a bit out of the question for me,” he said mildly. 

Sirius looked up at his friend and frowned, more at realizing his own accidental insensitivity than anything else. If he wasn’t imagining things, the patronus seemed to lose a little of its sheen in the silence that followed. It was precisely the sort of thing that reminded Sirius what an idiot he could be sometimes. Peter was usually the one who got himself into trouble he couldn’t get himself out of, but it was often Remus that Sirius felt needed protection if he really thought about it.

 “Sorry mate, I didn’t...”

“It’s fine. _Really,_ it’s fine,” Remus reassured him with a look upon seeing Sirius’s alarmed countenance. “Honest mistake - no harm, no foul.”

“I am sorry, though,” pressed Sirius hastily. “I only meant you’ve been, you know, the nice, responsible one all these years. I won’t pretend I don’t know that Lily doesn’t think I can handle watching Harry without you,” he added, hoping to lighten the mood.

“What are you talking about! You’re the godfather, aren’t you?”

“I’m pretty sure there’s some kind of clause in there that says I need to be trained by you first.”

The wolf had now curled itself around Harry who, though unable to truly touch the patronus due to its phantomesque nature, felt its serene aura calm his own spirits and was simply sitting there gazing at it with amazement and stroking the snowy owl toy absentmindedly.

Remus spoke first, but began so softly that Sirius almost didn’t catch it. “I think I always wanted one, actually. I figured out pretty quickly after the incident that it would be less than a good idea but I suppose if I think about it, I did want one. A kid, I mean,” he added awkwardly, now embarrassed at his own unnecessary clarification. “It’s probably what made me the goody-two-shoes prefect, wanting to look after people.”

“And you deserve one. That son of a bitch Greyback - “

Holding up a hand, Remus groaned. “Come on now, Lily will have your head if Harry learns to repeat language like that.”

Sirius gave an exaggerated sigh and raised his own wand. With a deft swish and flick, the blocks began to levitate and bob up and down in whimsical patterns before the baby. Harry stood up shakily, swinging his small arms for balance as he examined this new exhibition with great intrigue. “There, now he’s distracted.”

Amused, Remus waved his wand dismissively. The wolf wagged its tail once before fading into a vapor and disappearing. “Whether or not I deserve one, I’m missing the step before that. You know I was never really interested in anyone at school. Who knows if I’ll ever find a woman I actually have feelings for...no, forget that, how could I bring myself to put a woman and child I even _supposedly_ love in that situation? Even if I had enough gold and skill to make the Wolfsbane potion every month, the sheer stigma of it all...”

“Any woman who’s going to stop fancying you because of that isn’t someone you’d want to be with anyway, let alone have a child together. Besides, you found us, didn’t you? If you could make friends with a bunch of arrogant whelps like us, it must be a cinch to charm normal people.”

“Yes, but I don’t think I can exactly expect this hypothetical lady to become an unregistered Animagus for my sake just because I hoped to have a son or daughter someday. Seems a bit of a high standard to me - thanks for nothing, Padfoot, you and the boys have set the bar unrealistically high. If she’s not willing to get on the run from the law, what’s the point?” Remus quipped sarcastically.

Sirius burst out in a fit of laughter and Harry whipped around, confused at the sudden noise. Through subsiding chortles, his godfather patted him on the head reassuringly and began to levitate the owl instead, letting the blocks fall to the floor. The stuffed animal floated around just out of Harry’s reach as he scrambled after it, holding onto the nearby furniture for support. They watched as he began to lead the world’s slowest and least intense chase scene in circles around the table, impressed at the tremendous effort of not-quite-but-very-nearly walking.

“Yeah, well, anyone worth going out with is going to end up being labeled a ‘criminal’ at the rate the Death Eaters are spreading. And don’t get all fatalistic, Remus. Look, obviously I know why you’re worried. You’ve got every right to be. But we’re still young - just because James and Lily found each other at Hogwarts and had this little thing - “ Sirius jabbed a thumb in Harry’s direction. “ - That doesn’t mean you have to do what they did. Maybe you’ll find some brilliant, gorgeous witch who’s even better than old Snivellus at making potions, you’ll fall in love, and you’ll have the most _annoyingly_ well-behaved children the world has ever seen, blah, blah, blah. But you know, maybe you won’t. And even if you don’t end up meeting someone like that, there are other ways to look after kids besides getting married.”

“Other ways?” Remus repeated quizzically. As he said this, Harry wobbled past him and trod on his gray trousers, suddenly beginning to slip backwards on the smooth fabric and yelping in surprise. In one smooth motion, Remus lunged forward and grabbed the baby around the waist and hoisted him back into a standing position. “...Okay, point taken.”

Sirius let the owl toy drop right into Harry’s eager hands with a smirk. Harry seemed to have already forgotten about nearly hitting his head on the floor and was squeezing the toy gently, cheekily eyeing the bowl of candy. “Don’t forget that as we speak, you’re being trusted to keep an eye on a kid whose parents know better than anyone about you being a werewolf. I hear adoption’s bloody difficult but you never know, could be an option someday. And I bet a teacher’s pet like you would be everyone’s favorite professor.”

 “Professor? At Hogwarts? You’re mad!” cried Remus, shaking his head. “I’ll be lucky if I can stay at a Diagon Alley storefront for longer than two years without someone finding me out.”

“But think about it - the old staff would know you, right? If McGonagall were still there she’d turn anyone who had a go at you into a flea or something. As long as James and I haven’t ruined your reputation by association, you’d have people on your side already.” In all honesty, Sirius had only just thought of the idea but it was sounding like a better and better one the more he egged on his friend. 

“You’re mad,” Remus repeated staunchly. Sirius noticed he was smiling a little this time, though. “What about you, then?”

“Me?”

“Do you ever think about having a family?” It was almost strange, realizing that this was their first real conversation about the idea although they’d been friends for nearly a decade at this point.

Sirius scratched his chin absently and frowned as he thought for a while. “I don’t know,” he began slowly. “I s’pose I was popular at school - alright, I know I was - but I don’t think I _really_ fancied anyone either to be honest with you. Weird, aren’t we? You can be shut up in school for so long with the same people and not have anyone you really want to take out for a firewhisky.”

“What about children?”

 “No...ha, I think I always figured I’d be too selfish to have a kid. I mean it’s great to be a godfather or an uncle,” he said, smiling at Harry. “We get to do all the fun parts and even when it’s not fun, well, we just send him back home with James and Lily. Teach him some spells, introduce him to Zonko’s, take him around on the bike. But my own kid? I don’t think I’d have the first clue what to do with one. I didn’t exactly grow up in a model home.”

Remus grimaced. “I suppose not. Rich in gold maybe, not so rich in morals. But you recognized it enough to get away, and now you’re part of the Order. That’s a pretty decently selfless thing.”

“Maybe. I dunno, Moony, I just think I’d be rubbish at it. I did think at one point, if James could do it then I could, but he had Lily to make him all mature and responsible. Relatively speaking, at least. I just don’t really know if it’s for me.”

Remus knew his friend well enough to know that despite being surprisingly good at pep talks, Sirius wasn’t terribly receptive to them himself. Better to let it be for now.

“Well, Harry at least is lucky to have you as godfather, even if other children don't come into your life.”

“Thanks,” the Black family disgrace stood up and stretched his arms, cracking his joints with an uncharacteristically soft smile. “That whole professor thing, mull it over, won’t y - Harry, _no_ \- ”

Apparently, Harry had inherited his mother’s skill with charms because the Honeydukes bowl was now floating a foot above the table and inching slowly but steadily toward the little troublemaker. His large, green eyes were charged with a palpable concentration that refused to be shaken even as Remus hurriedly pulled him back and waved the owl in front of his face to no avail. Sirius snatched the bowl out of the air and waved his wand to cancel the spell.

 “Har-ry,” he said in an exaggerated chiding tone. “Your parents said no sweets. At least not until after lunch, maybe we could sneak you one if you're good. Okay, fine, no sweets,” he added, catching Remus’s expression. He moved to carry the bowl back into the kitchen and hide it out of sight, but neither of the two men had quite planned for what happened once Sirius took about three steps.

“ _EEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIYYAHHHHH!!”_

“What the _fucking_ \- ?" 

“Sirius!” 

“Oh come on, I deserve that one, he’s gone and put an amplifying charm on himself!”

“No, not that - ,” Remus tried to project his voice through gritted teeth as Harry let out another bloodcurdling screech that shook the floorboards. A small cloud of dust actually burst out of the dingy bookshelf at the back of the room. “Did we put the muffling enchantment around the house earlier?!”

There was an ominous pause as Sirius stood frozen, pale in the face, trying to remember what the two of them had done before he’d woken up from his nap earlier. At the same time, Remus was bouncing Harry up and down in a desperate attempt to distract from the latter’s rage while muttering “ _Quietus_ ” with his wand surreptitiously pointed at the boy. He was wracking his brains as well but unfortunately coming up empty on this matter. Interestingly enough, Harry wasn’t actually crying - he seemed to have learned that blatantly shrieking his displeasure sometimes procured the desired result from the adults around him without having to waste effort on tears.

“ _AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”_

Even without the amplification, the boy’s howling numbed their ears. Between banshee-like yells, he would simply sit and pout with a comically furious and expectant look plastered across his small features.  

Remus sat Harry on the floor carefully as he rose from his seat urgently. “Here, take Harry - see if the list says anything about what to do when if he throws a tantrum!” he called over his shoulder, striding quickly to the window on the far side of the room.

Fortunately, things seemed fairly tranquil around the rest of the block from what Remus could see by peeking through the glass. The house was in an unimpressive neighborhood - more than a stone’s throw from the quaint, village-style houses of Godric’s Hollow, but not so decrepit that crime was a real concern. Their current residence sat within a tight row of garden-level, Britishly bricked maisonnettes that hadn’t gotten a refreshed look in at least a decade, crammed together, with property lines only demarcated by rusty satellite dishes and gray trash bins frequented by stray cats. It was about the best a werewolf and a runaway could have hoped for at their age. Remus scanned the lane carefully. Hopefully, they’d been able to return Harry to normal volume levels before any of the neighbors had thought too much about any noises they’d heard. How much easier it must be to look after non-magical children who couldn’t subconsciously cast spells. He supposed that thanks to Muggle innovation with electricity, he could always make up some excuse about a television or stereo, but he was certain that he didn’t know enough information about such technology to hold a full conversation. Luckily for him, the only characters in sight were a small rabbit nibbling on flowers two houses down and one car cruising down the crossroad. Breathing a sigh of relief, he began murmuring incantations. Now, even if Harry had another outburst, no passersby would so much as blink twice if they walked past.

 Incidentally, Harry’s petulant fussing seemed to have subsided. Remus finished the protective spell with a flourish of his wand and placed it back inside his robes before turning back around. His eyes met a sight that made him wish he’d had some means of capturing a picture for James and Lily.

The beast-like, hulking black dog that looked too big for the tiny den was curled demurely around Harry, much like Remus’s patronus had been before. Its large golden eyes which were usually dangerous and bold now looked up at Remus with a kind of meek resignation. Harry, for his part, had given up his vendetta over the sweets in favor of grabbing at tufts of his “new” playmate’s fur or trying to catch its tail as it beat up and down, tickling his face. Piercing squeals were now replaced with jovial chirps and giggles. On the floor between the two lay the _Daily Prophet_ issue, opened to a four-page spread of a magical toy catalog. In addition to tormenting his godfather’s dog form, Harry was having a grand time surveying the images, some showing cheerful children running about in an idyllic field with the advertised trinkets. He caught sight of the largest feature showing the latest toy and pointed emphatically at it, blubbering eagerly.

Remus crossed the room to sit next to the pair of them. He reached out both hands, patting Harry gently on the back with his left and scratching Sirius behind the ears with the right.

“See Padfoot, you’re a natural yourself.”

 

* * *

  

“You’re absolutely sure he wasn’t too much trouble without us?” Lily asked earnestly, a completely bushed Harry snoozing in her arms, collapsed against her shoulder. It was dark outside with just the faintest glow of light pollution from the city in the distance now that night had fallen, and she and her husband were longing for some sleep themselves. They had their coats on, hovering near the hearth as they said their goodbyes.

“Not at all! Only a couple of wayward spells that he couldn’t control but nothing more serious than a hover charm,” Remus declared brightly in spite of the heaviness of his eyelids.

“He even helped us pick out his own Christmas presents for this year,” joined in Sirius, stifling a yawn as he held up the _Prophet_ catalog. “Not that he’ll remember doing it by the time December comes around. If he breaks anything on this toy broomstick, blame him for choosing it, not me.”

 The Potters laughed, James especially joyfully. “It’s only a matter of time before he works his way up to a Comet. Thanks again, Sirius, Remus - don’t know what we’d do without you.”

“Seconded,” said Lily immediately. “Come round again for lunch next week, won’t you? We’ll see if we can wrangle Wormy between all these secret Order missions.”

 After many sweet parting words and promises to meet again soon, James, Lily, and Harry finally stepped back into the green flames of the Floo Network, heads neatly wrapped in Bubble Head charms, and disappeared from view. Though it had been less than twenty-four hours, the house already seemed empty and strangely quiet in the wake of Harry’s sudden absence. The two men remained standing almost awkwardly, taking in the infant-less stillness where the only sound was a faint crinkle as the last of the fire petered out. Sirius abruptly turned on his heel and began to step out of the room.

“Time to call it a night?” queried Remus as he gathered up his things and yawned himself.

 An exhausted Sirius had already reached the top of the stairs and was making a beeline for his room at the far side of the short hallway, but he had just enough energy left for one more snarky remark.

“Yeah, right after I send an owl to Augusta Longbottom and tell her that all her tips and tricks have nothing on becoming an Animagus so that you can entertain your kid by turning into a dog. Like you said, if you’re not willing to get on the run from the law, what’s the point?”


End file.
